Vivek Ramaswamy Passes Critical Test to Challenge Trump in 2024 Primary

Republican candidate for president Vivek Ramaswamy has reached the fundraising threshold to appear onstage at the Republican primary debates in the fall, according to a new report Saturday.

Ramaswamy, a biopharmaceutical entrepreneur, has received donations from more than 60,000 donors, according to Axios. The GOP requires 40,000 individual donors to appear in the first presidential primary debate, 50,000 to appear in the second and 60,000 to appear in the third.

Candidates must additionally poll at or above 1%, a threshold Ramaswamy, who has averaged 3.5% in polls, has consistently cleared.

Ramaswamy joins Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, and Nikki Haley in qualifying for the debates. The campaign of Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., told Axios that Scott will also appear in the debates, though the campaign did not provide donor numbers.

Trump has indicated he may boycott the debates because of his large lead over the field, while DeSantis has said he will "be there regardless" of Trump's participation.

The first debate will be hosted by Fox News on August 23 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.